Think Lightly Of Yourselves and Deeply Of The World
Practice Humility
In most of the countries of the “West”, and in the US particularly, the virtue (once known as) of humility, is no longer considered to be a desirable or useful character trait by most people. Some religious people may still believe it is important, but most equate being humble with being a doormat and having low self-esteem. Sometimes you hear about politicians and/or the ultra wealthy claiming to act out of humility, but it is very rarely genuine and is most often a cover for their extreme narcissism and psychopathy.
Yet most world religions value humility very highly, and not just because humility is the proper attitude to have towards an omnipotent god - humility in many religions is the proper response to all human beings, as they too are the children of god, or at least have the potential to be.
Psychologists used to think that ego and high self esteem were the most important traits for mental health and success, but more recent studies seem to indicate that those individuals who practice humility can be some of the happiest and most successful people.
G K Chesterton even paradoxically argued that humility is the driving force behind the greatest achievements and ambitions of humanity, and Jim Collins’s study of the most successful CEOs indicated that they share the common characteristic of humility, coupled with a belief in a higher purpose and mission that was greater than themselves.
So maybe if you are perfect, or think you are perfect in every way, it is actually easier to be humble?